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It’s February, 1979. Queen Elizabeth IIis in Dubai during a three-week tour of the region. On February 26 that year, the British monarch takes a journey on a traditional dhow through Dubai Creek, the historic heart of the city. In this photograph we can see Queen Elizabeth sitting alongside Sheikh Rashid, Ruler of Dubai, as they journey up the Creek.

Her visit drew worldwide attention and attracted legions of journalists: crowds of people can be seen on the quay looking on as the dhow passes. In a packed itinerary for the visit, the Queen formally inaugurated Jebel Ali Port and also took in a camel race in Al Ain. The monarch had arrived in Kuwait on a Concorde and would leave for Oman that evening after a banquet on the royal yacht HMYBritannia.